In Kyiv, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Türkiye, Hakan Fidan.
The Head of State expressed gratitude to Türkiye and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for their support of efforts to establish a just and lasting peace, as well as for their assistance in organizing the meeting between the Ukrainian and Russian delegations in Istanbul on May 16. Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that this meeting resulted in the release of a thousand Ukrainians. The return of all adults and children held by Russia is one of the key priorities for our state.
The President also noted that Ukraine values Türkiye’s stance on the inadmissibility of uttering ultimatums in the course of negotiations and its readiness to constructively work toward a ceasefire and the establishment of a just and lasting peace.
“Ukraine consistently supports a diplomatic path to end this war. We value Türkiye’s mediating role in our pursuit of a just and lasting peace,” he said.
The Head of State stressed that Russia continues to ignore calls for a ceasefire and, for more than a week, has failed to prepare the so-called “memorandum” it had promised to deliver immediately after the prisoner exchange.
“We have not received any documents from them regarding this. We also have no agenda. Türkiye has likewise received no documents from Russia, which reflects a lack of respect toward the country as a hosting party. We are ready for negotiations, but they must be properly prepared,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy underscored.
Special attention during the meeting was given to the importance of increasing sanctions pressure on Russia. The President noted that it is essential to continue doing everything possible to compel the Russian Federation to end this war. Moscow must cease imposing its conditions on the world and begin negotiating honestly.
The President also thanked Türkiye for its consistent support of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. For the Ukrainian people, it is important that this principled position remains unwavering.